Automatic railroad-gate.



J. NIEMIEC AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED IULYZS. I917- 1,261,275.. .PatentedApr. 2,1918.

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AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1911.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

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AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE. APPLICATION FILED JuLY25. 1911.

1,261,275. Patented Apr. 2,1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- yrd Mata/I if 1 H/JA OH/VEY J. NIEMIEC.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZ5| IQIT- 1,261,275, Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Hu is? WWII i J. NIEMIEC.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD GATE.

AAAAAAAAA ON'HLED JULY25. I917.

1,86%?750 f Patented Apr. 2,1918.

5 EEEE TS- EEEEE 5- I BY A %cm%% 7 M A omvzy WTTED STATEg PATENT @FFTQE JOSEPH NIEIVIIEC, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial No. 182,600.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH NIEMIEG, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residei'it of Newark, county of Essex, and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic. Railroad-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic gates, and particularly to those adapted to be operated by an approaching locomotive at railway track crossings.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means capable of being installed at the sides of a railway track, as at a street crossing, which will automatically, upon the approach of a locomotive. and without action of the engineer,-cause the gates to close in advance of the passage of the train, andto open after the train has passed. v This and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view showing a track having a 1000- motive thereon and an open gate.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism, parts being removed in order to show the construction. a a

Fig. 4c is a similar top plan view, the

parts being shown in another position from that in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalview taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig; 6, is a view similar to Fig. 2, but a showing a single operative structure, and in a different position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the complete device, showing the gate in an open position, the casing being shown in section.

Fig. 8 is a similar side elevational view of the same, the gate being shown in-a closed position. v i

Fig.9 isa fragmental side elevational view of contacting elements carried by the loco motive, and i I Fig. 1.0 is a side elevational view largely diagrammatic indicating the application of the invention. e

In Fig. '1 arailway track15 is shown,

ing two pairs of hollow uprights or standards 20 and 22, arranged upon opposite sides of the roadway crossing and connected by a similar hollow bridge element 21 at the top, a similar structure being upon the-opposite side of the railway track, the two being connected by an overhead shaft 23 and by means of which the gateelements are operated simultaneously.

Carried by the locomotive 16, preferably 7 at the top of the cab, is a bracket 25 having pivotally secured at its upper end a lever 26, held normally upward by the oiled pressure spring 27, and providedavith a pull cord 28 by means of which it may be depressed as desired.

On the upper side of the lever 26 is secured a vertical arm 29, carrying a pulley 30, adapted to make contact with the overhead wire 17, which, as will be seen, extendsonly a relatively short distance from either side of the gateway and is supported by the post 31, current being supplied to the pulley 30'by the source of electricity 32, in circuit with one of the running rails ofthe track 15.

Centrally of the bridgepiece or connecting element 21, and on top thereof, 1s a hollow box-like structure 33, containing an electric motor 35, and carried by the shaft of motor 35 is a spur gear 36 transmitting, through the idle pinion 37, rotary motion to the spur gear 38, rotatably mounted on 4L7 acts as a partition dividing the drum into two substantially unifornrspaces 50 and 52,

upon which are wound cables 51 and53, having their outer ends engaged with spindles 55 and 56, laterally slidable upon guides 57 and 58 longitudinally of the bridge 21.

Formed with the spiiidles 55 and' 56 are similar annular disks 59 and 60, the extreme edges'of which are adapted to engage with the beveled surface 49 when brought into contact by reason of the drum winding up the cable to such an extent as to cause the cable drum 4:5 to slide upon the shaft, thereby withdrawing its connection so both the spindles 55 and 56 will move outwardly toward the standards 20 and 22 respectively, and in order that a complete separation "of the gate parts may be made, there is also mounted upon the shaft 23 fly wheels 62 so that its momentum may servo'to operate the drum momentarily after the teeth have been disconnected.

Also attached to the spindles '55 and 56 are theends of the cables 65 and 66, the

same running over fixedpulleys 68 eventually terminating in weighted elements 69, by which an operative tension is maintained in the cables at all times.

Itigidly attached to the spindles 55 and 56 are depending arms -71 and 7 2, having inturned ends 73 and 7 4: to which are attached rigid rods 75 and '76, the lowerend of the rods terminating slightly above the level of the street roadway. Engaged at spaced intervals to these arms are cables 78, the same extending through openings 80 formed in the inner wall of the standards 20 and 22, and which pass over pulleysSl, arranged at substantially equal distancesapart, theother ends of the cables being attached to the weight 69.

In order are provided with slots in their upper surfaces 83 and 84:, engageablewlth an exteno en 85, "of alever 86, pivoted on the pin 87,

the other end of the lever being normally raisedby reason of the pull spring 88, one

The peculiar shape of the lever 86 is'suits ed to engage with the projection 94 from the end of the lever 90, and by means of which it may be raised, depressing the end 85, thereby locking the pendent bars in a closed position when the drum 45 is disengaged from the driving teeth, as can best be seen in Fig. '6, the released position of the bars being shown in Fig.

to hold the pendent bars 75 and l 76 from retracting under the pull of the P weights 69, the ends 73 and 7 1- of the arms The lateral movement of the fly wheel 62 on the shaft 23 is conveyed to the drums 45 by means'of thecollars 95 in which is a screw 96, operating in a spiral groove 97 formed directly in the shaft 523, and by means of which the teeth may be engaged together when the shaft. is actuatedns above 1 described: In operation an approaching 10- comotive 16, carrying the contact pulley 30, forms an electric circuit between the overhead wires 17, and running rails 15, energizing the motors 35, and by themgactuating the gear trains, bringing the gate elements 75 and 76, toward each other, meeting at the-middleof the passagebetween the standards '20 and 22. 1

These gate elements 75 and 76 carry arms containing slot-s which automatically engage -with the element 85 of the spring actuated lever 86, locking the gate elements together and theyso remain locked until the locomotive has assedthe track section having the wires 1 at which time the circuit becomes broken, releases the drums,'which moving laterally on their mounting, in turn releases the lever and permits the gate elements to separate and return to theirinitial position due to their connections with'the weights 69. i s

From the foregoing, it will-be seen that an efficient gate operating device has been disclosedand that it maybe opened and-closed =upon both sides of therailroad track whenever a locomotive" is approaching the crossmg.

Having thus des'embed my 1nven't1on, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is '1. In an automatic gate, the combination with a pairof hollow standards, abridge connecting therebetween and carriages movablein said bridge, pendant'rods extending from said carriages, a pluralityof flexible elements engaged with said pendant rods,

meansfor operating said carriages simultaneously, and means for retracting said flexible elements within said hollow standards.

2. In an automatic gate, the combination with a pair of hollow standards disposed upon either side of a roadway,'; a hollow bridge connecting therebetw'eerr, oppositely movable carriagesoper'ablein said bridge,

arms 1 depending from said carriages, flexible cables spacedly engaged with said-arms, said cables extending through openings in theadj acentside of said stanclardsgpnlleys in said standards over which said cables run, and a counterweighten gagedwith all of saidcables whereby the same maybe retracted as said carriages move outwardly.

3. In an automatic *gate, the combination with an electric motor; a sourcenf power therefor, means for connecting saidsource of power with said motor, adrurh driven by l said motor, means for engaging or disengaging the driving means with said drum, said means including a pair of oppositely movable carriages, operable connections between said rods and said carriages, and a pair of oppositely disposed gates movable by said carriages.

4:. In an automatic gate, the combination witha pair of standards, a bridge connecting therebetween, a motor mounted on said bridge, and a source of electrical power, of means for automatically connecting said source of electrical power in circuit with said motor, a double drum driven by said motor, a pair of oppositely disposed carriages slidably engaged in said bridge, connections between said drum and carriages whereby the latter may be advanced, means for retracting said carriages, a pair of rigid pendant arms attached to said carriages, means for holding said arms in engagement when in an advanced position, a plurality of flexible spaced cables engaged with said pendant bars, said cables being normally contained in said hollow standards, and means for retracting said cables therein when said carriages are moving outwardly.

5. In an automatic gate, the combination with a pair of hollow standards, a bridge connecting therebetween, and a motor mounted on said bridge, of means for conveying power to said motor, a train of gears driven thereby, a shaft uponwhich the last gear of said gear train is mounted, a double drum on said shaft, connections between said drum and the last gear in said train whereby'it may be driven in one direction, a pair of oppositely disposed carriages mounted in said bridge, means carried by said carriage for disconnecting said drum from said gears, and means carried by said carriages fog closing the passage between said standar s.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature.

JOSEPH NIEMIEO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

